Grilled Zucchini and Mushrooms

Grilled Zucchini and Mushrooms are a great side dish to make, especially if you’re already grilling some other things. They are plump, scrumptious and perfectly charred.

We absolutely love to take our cooking outside and utilize the grill as much as possible. If we’re grilling an entree, then it just makes sense to grill some vegetables to serve on the side as well. A combination of grilled zucchini and mushrooms is so delicious and one of our favorites.

Grilling the zucchini separately from the mushrooms is brilliant because you can make sure that each are cooked to the absolute perfect texture. For the zucchini, I like to cut some slashes on the inside so that more flavor can keep into the zucchini. Keep the zucchini in larger pieces while on the grill really helps to keep its shape the best. The zucchini gets a chance to get some good grill marks without getting overcooked. Once its grilled, then we cut it into smaller pieces.

We like the mushrooms to get more color and char, so we keep them on the grill a little bit longer than the zucchini. The vinaigrette for the mushrooms adds an amazing burst of flavor – it really makes them stand out.

Ingredients

• zucchini
  • medium sized zucchini are the best to use. The larger ones have too much seeds and can be tough and watery too.
  • Typical green zucchini is what I use most often, but yellow squash is great too.
• garlic
• salt, ground black pepper
• dry herbs & spices
• fresh herbs (parsley is what I use most often, but I also like using dill, chives, green onions, thyme or rosemary)
• olive oil
• mushrooms
  • white button mushrooms and cremini mushrooms are both great for grilling.
• red wine vinegar
  • red wine vinegar added to the mushrooms adds a nice burst of acidity
  • sherry vinegar or even lemon juice can be used instead

How to Make Grilled Zucchini and Mushrooms

1. Prep the zucchini.
   • Cut the ends off the zucchini and cut them in half horizontally.
   • Make some shallow diagonal slashes on the inside of the zucchini.
   • Drizzle the zucchini with olive oil, season with salt, pepper, dry herbs and spices, parsley and garlic. Rub it into the zucchini, especially into the slashes so they take in more flavor.
2. Clean the mushrooms and cut them if needed. Cut some of the mushroom stems off, if they are too big. Keep the smaller mushrooms whole and cut the larger mushrooms in half or quarters, depending on the size of the mushrooms.
3. Preheat the grill and while it’s getting hot, season the mushrooms.
4. Make a dressing/vinaigrette. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil with minced garlic, parsley, other herbs and spices that you like and red wine vinegar. Mix until smooth. Save 2-4 Tablespoons of this vinaigrette and set aside. Pour the rest of it over the mushrooms and mix until all the mushrooms are coated. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Thread the mushrooms onto the skewers.
6. Place the zucchini onto the preheated grill, skin side down first and grill for about 5 minutes, then flip the zucchini over onto the flat side and cook for another 5 minutes or so, depending on the size of your zucchini and how soft you prefer it to be.
7. At the same time, place the mushroom kabobs on the grill and grill them until golden on both sides. We usually cook the mushrooms a few minutes longer, so they get some more color and char.
8. Cut the zucchini into 1 1/2 inch pieces. Garnish with more fresh herbs.
9. Serve. Take the mushrooms of the skewers and add some of the reserved vinaigrette. You can serve them in separate serving plates, or mix them up and serve together, which is how we prefer to do it.

What to serve with the Zucchini and Mushrooms

• Ultimate Baked Steelhead Trout
• The Juiciest Grilled Chicken Breast
• Cilantro Lime Grilled Chicken
• Salt Potatoes

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